


A Step Behind You

by thejilyship



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Office Romance, jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:06:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejilyship/pseuds/thejilyship
Summary: Work is the last place that James wants to be when he knows that there are fresh biscuits at home that he could be enjoying. But a certain redhead with a watering can makes him glad that he came in.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52
Collections: James and Lily Fanfics





	A Step Behind You

**Author's Note:**

> Another one-shot from tumblr!   
> Enjoy!

James just wanted to get home before Sirius, Remus and Peter ate all of his mother’s Christmas biscuits. 

He had tried to steal a couple before heading into the office, but Mia Potter had insisted that he had to wait until tonight and then kicked him out of the house after she caught him in the kitchen ten minutes later, again, trying to knick a biscuit before he had to go to work. 

Also, he was angry that he had to be in the office this close to Christmas in the first place. 

He typed away at his computer, wondering why his boss had been so adamant that he wanted James in the office, when he clearly could have finished up these reports at home.

There were a few other people scattered through the office, looking just as miserable as he felt. 

He was falling into a hypnotic state, hearing nothing but the sound of the keys at the ticking of the clock. Still thinking about the Christmas biscuits. 

And then, out of the corner of his eyes, a flash of red. 

His breath hitched and he whipped his head around, spotting her rushing down the hallway. 

He didn’t know her name, he only saw her every few weeks, and he’d never been able to work out which department that she worked in. He didn’t want to be a creep either, so he couldn’t try too hard. He had just kept hoping that they would eventually run into one another. 

Now, she was carrying a watering can. 

And that just felt like the kind of thing he was allowed to follow her down the hallway to ask about. 

He jumped up from his chair, work and biscuits pushed from his mind, as he followed after her. 

“Excuse me!” He called out, spotting her at the other end of the hallway.

She stopped short, her hair swinging back and forth like a pendulum in her plait. She spun around to face him. “Yes?” 

“What are you doing?” He asked, his hand jumping to his hair now that she was looking directly at him. Her eyes were green. He hadn’t noticed that before. They were a brilliant shade of green as well. 

She looked down at the watering can and then up at him. “I’m surprised no one else has asked me yet,” She gave him a small smile and his heart skipped in his chest. “I came in to pick up my plants before Christmas break, but then I noticed that almost everyone in my office left plants here, so I thought that I would just water them so they’re not all dead when everyone comes back next week.” 

“Oh,” James blinked, not knowing what he had thought her answer was going to be, but the one that she’d given him was just so damn sweet. “Would you like some help?” 

She smiled again, dimples forming at the corners of her mouth. “I’d love some help.” Then she waved for him to follow her and turned around, continuing down the hallway.

James jogged after her so he could catch up. 

And he found out that she worked on his floor. 

For the last few months, all he had to do was follow her down this one hallway and he would have found out that she worked in billing, on the same floor as he did. How had they not ran into one another?

“My name is Lily, by the way.” She said, turning to look over her shoulder as she stepped into the first cubicle in the room and then turned to carefully pour water on a fern on the corner of the desk. “I’m not sure that we’ve met before.” 

“We haven’t.” James said, and then he furrowed his brow. Did he say that too quickly? “I’ve seen you around before, but I didn’t know that you worked just down the hall here. My name is James.” He knew that he needn’t have said all of that and he could feel his ears warming. 

Luckily, she didn’t notice his embarrassment, because she was now focusing on a second fern on the other side of the desk. “Well, I walk past your office almost every day, so I’ve definitely seen you around before.” She looked up and smiled at him, and then she was off to the next cubicle. 

He blinked after her and then followed her again. “What can I do to help?” 

Lily shrugged her shoulders. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t get wise on me, but I only have one watering can. I was hoping to keep you around for the company so that I could ask you for a favor in a few minutes.” 

James had already been intrigued by this girl but she had him on her rope now. He crossed his arms over his chest. “The company? And what if I have important things I should be doing right now?” 

She turned to face him fully, smiling with her dimples again. “Then you probably wouldn’t have offered to help me water plants. Here,” She handed him the watering can and then riffled through the top drawer for a pad of sticky notes and a pen. “Go to the next one, I’ll be right there.” 

James didn’t even question why he was listening to her, he just did as he was told. Which, if anyone who knew him could see him just then, they would think that was very strange. James Potter never did something just because he was told to do it. 

But now he was watering plants, and Lily was following behind him with the sticky notes and the pen. 

“What are you writing?” He asked after the fourth desk. 

“Goodbye notes.” She said, drawing a very embellished heart. 

“But they won’t see these notes until they see you again. Aren’t we watering the plants because-” He stopped and pushed his glasses up his nose. “You said that you were coming to collect your plants.” 

Lily nodded. “I did say that. I got a new job that I started after the new year. My last day was yesterday.” 

James frowned and Lily smiled at him. 

“This is where most people would congratulate a person.” 

“Right,” James nodded, “Right of course, congratulations! Where is your new job?” 

“At a primary school a few blocks west of here,” Lily smiled. “I’ve finally gotten my degree finished, so I get to start teaching!” 

“In the middle of the year?” 

“Yes,” Lily grinned. “One of the teachers went on maternity leave a week ago, so I’ll be taking over her classroom until she gets back.”

“Well that worked out perfectly!” He should have tried to talk to her before today. 

“Yes,” Lily was still grinning and James’ heart was still jumping around in his chest. “I’ve actually had a string of good luck lately.”

And now she was about to tell him that she had a boyfriend and demolish his hopes even further. 

“Like when you asked me what I was doing. That was lucky.” 

James narrowed his brow. He hadn’t been expecting that. “Why was that lucky?” 

“Because I’d never had a reason to go into your office, so I’d never had an opportunity to talk to you before. And I’m never going to have a reason to come back into this building, so,” She shrugged and the peeled off the sticky note and stuck it to the pot that James had just watered. “I don’t know, I’ve got nothing to lose here so I might as well be honest, yes? I think you are rather handsome.” 

James blinked at her, taken aback at her straightforward comment, but also completely shocked that she had noticed him in the same capacity that he had noticed her. 

“Biscuits?” He said stupidly and Lily wrinkled her nose in confusion. 

“Excuse me?” 

“I- I,” His hand was already buried in his hair at this point and he furrowed his brow. “That isn’t what I meant to say.” 

“I thought not,” Lily nodded and then started tapping the pen on her pad of sticky notes. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable-”

“You didn’t.” He said quickly. “I think my brain just- listen,” He dropped his hand from his hair to his side and thens et the watering can down on the desk. “I have obviously noticed you around the office before, and a moment ago I was just kicking myself for never trying to catch you in the hallway.” 

She was smiling again, and James took that to be a good sign. “And you said biscuits because…” 

“My mum is having a holiday biscuit party tonight. I’ve been thinking about them all day.” He shook his head. “Which sounds dumb, but I’m trying to ask you if you’d like to come with me. Unless that’s a terrible idea. I’m saying it outloud and it sounds like it might be a terrible idea.” 

Lily’s smile disappeared. “Is it a terrible idea?” 

“I just asked you to come to a family Christmas party for a first date, that definitely sounds like something that will scare you off.” 

“But it’s a biscuit party.” 

“Yes.” 

“I like like biscuits and I’m not afraid of meeting people either. How many biscuits could I eat before people look at me weird?” 

James started smiling again. It felt very nice to know that his intuition about this girl had been right. “I mean, so long as we don’t see the biscuits that you eat again, no one is going to look at your weird.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So you want to come then?” 

“Yes,” Lily nodded, poking his arm with the end of the pen. 

“Do you have an ugly Christmas jumper?” 

“Of course.” Lily bounced on her heels and James laughed. “I love Christmas parties and it’s been a while so I’m very excited. Let’s finish up here so I can get home and change!” 

James laughed again and nodded, “Alright, let’s go.” And he picked up the watering can again and headed to the next desk, now even more anxious to get off work.

He still didn’t think that it was a good idea to bring Lily on a first date where not only Remus and Peter would be, but also Sirius and his mother. It actually seemed like a terrible idea when he remembered that Sirius and his mother would be there. It was almost a guarantee that they would scare her off. 

“Are you sure you want to come? I can take you-”

“I’m sure I want to come,” Lily cut him off, peeling off another note and sticking it to another coworkers desk. “The fact that you’re second guessing so much only makes me want to come more.” 

“Giving me a hard time already? We haven’t known each other for more than twenty minutes.” James sighed as he moved on to the next plant. “You’re going to fit right in at this party.” 

She looked over at him, her eyes sparkling. “I knew I was going to like you.” 

“Yeah, well, just remember that when my mum starts asking you how many kids you want.” 

She laughed out loud, startling him slightly, but then he was chuckling along with her. 

“Six.” She said suddenly, looking back at her sticky notes.

“Six?” James’ eyes widened. 

“Four?” Lily offered, looking back up at him. “I’m not entirely sure, but I know it has to be an even number more than two. I was one of two, and my sister and I don’t get along. I think if there were a few more siblings, then we would have had more people to fight with and it would have been spread out more.”

“I was an only child growing up, so my mother will be thrilled with that answer.” 

“Excellent.” She poked him with the pen again. “Alright, I think that’s everyone. Can you help me carry my things down to my car? I don’t know how I managed to accumulate so much stuff over the last year.” 

“Of course,” James set down the watering can and followed her to a counter on the back wall that had two boxes, one full of plants, the other full of books and trinkets. The contents of either box could comfortably fit into the other. “This isn’t so much.” 

“I had a bigger box that I took home with me yesterday.” Lily admitted. “But I uh,” She cocked her head to the side and eyed him before picking up the box with the books in it. “I wanted to make sure that I had enough stuff left here for two boxes so I could ask you for help.” 

“You know,” James picked up the box of plants. “For someone who hasn’t had the nerve to just walk into my office and talk to me, you’ve got a lot of nerve.” 

Lily laughed, “Yes, well, you’re bringing me home to meet your family. My confidence has been bolstered.” 

And as he followed her down to her car, carrying a box of plants that she’d packed separately just so she’d have a reason to talk to him, his heart skipping happily in his chest and his cheeks already sore from all the smiling he’d been doing, he had a feeling that he was stepping into the rest of his life. 

Because he was quite certain that there weren’t many places that he wouldn’t follow Lily. 


End file.
